


Venus and her Black Rose

by Ninjaman2



Series: Venus, and her Rose [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Friendship/Love, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Minor Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra, Minor Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sad Ending, Secret Crush, Trans Bernadetta von Varley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25463968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninjaman2/pseuds/Ninjaman2
Summary: Behind the scenes, and in the background. Always there but never quite in the focus.Edelgard Von Hresvelg and her love for one Bernard Von Varley - now known across Fodlan as Bernadetta Von Varley.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Bernadetta von Varley, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg/Bernadetta von Varley, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Venus, and her Rose [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844440
Kudos: 9





	Venus and her Black Rose

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was supposed to be a what-if of if Edie and Bernie got together but while writing it... it became something different.

Her admiration for the girl had always been strong. It was clear she was scared. Clear that she was uncomfortable with her situation. And yet every day she’d turn up to class early. Her fear wasn’t going to prevent her evolution. So Edelgard had to be like her hero, and not let her fear control her, her fear of loss.

She’d lost so much. Her family. Her hair colour. Her humanity. Her life-span. Yet with open arms she welcomed the small and timid purple haired girl into her arms. Bernadetta had baked her a cake for her birthday. Chocolate.

She hadn’t eaten chocolate in years.

When Bernadetta left, she cried.

Hubert was good to her. He held her during her panic attacks, massaged her sore body. Guided her through etiquette and proper form. And he looked after her Bernie.

Her Bernie.

When she stood upon the cliff, staring at the monastery she planned to destroy, a hand slipped into hers. Bernadetta squeezed her hand reassuringly. She didn’t have the courage, not anymore, and yet now with Bernadetta at her side, she could do anything - at least her heart felt that.

Years passed and the fires of war scorched the land. Fodlan was divided. Her will was shattered. Her actions had sent Dimitri spiralling into insanity. Claude refused to talk to her. Hubert had effectively taken the role of Emperor, and strategically moved her to the monastery, so she could escape it all… if even for a month. Then Byleth came back into her life. Then Bernadetta came back into her life.

  
  


Edelgard’s hands ran across the sleeping girl’s body. The purple nightie clung to her petite form snugly. Her own scarred arms clutched her protectively. She glanced at the story book to her right. She’d been reading it to Bernadetta. She liked the stories in it, even if it was meant for children. Such a gentle soul.

Soul.

Did she have one anymore?

Had those who slithered in the dark left that intact?

How much of her was human anymore?

How much of her… was hegemon?

Bernadetta Von Varley. Formerly Bernard Von Varley. Was all that was left of her soul. Her humanity. Her pale flesh was marred and marked. The lines of old knife wounds. The impact sites of a belt. Edelgard looked at her body. The two were almost matching, in the brutality their bodies had experienced. She wanted to tell Bernadetta she’d protect her. She wanted to tell her… she loved her. But they could never be together. Edelgard couldn’t hurt her that way. 

Edelgard’s lifespan was dwindling. Reduced heavily by the strain of warfare and two crests. At most… maybe ten… twenty years left…

She tucked Bernadetta into bed and retreated from her room, returning to her own imperial chambers and collapsing.

“Bernie… my sweet innocent recluse. How I wish I could tell you, tell you much I enjoyed sitting outside your room and talking. How much I enjoyed your knitted blankets and jumpers… how much I love you. Bernadetta… I love you… with all my heart… but I can never make you mine… but, you can be a Von Hresvelg if you want… my sweet sister…”

She smiled softly. Perhaps that way they could still be together… even if not forever, and the pain once she’s gone will be less. 

Then her thoughts drifted to her professor, the only other person she’d thought about romantically, other than Hubert but that was just her thinking about how a marriage between them would be convenient - swiftly followed by him declining the idea.

The professor had an absence of emotions. They were hollow. Even though their heart was beginning to beat, for the professor to lose Edelgard… it’d hurt her less. Perhaps it was time to expand upon those feelings.

And so the following day, after receiving an interesting piece of news, she went to see Bernadetta.

“I… just thought you’d like to hear some good news.” Edelgard chuckled.

Bernadetta grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself so Edelgard could turn around.

“We found him. Your father. And we’ve managed to get a statement out of him… Freya and Dorothea were… less than willing to let him escape unharmed… the report says that he initially denied the allegations… and Freya took his hand.”

Bernadetta blinked, she knew the red head could be protective of her… but that was a bit far. As for Dorothea… the two had seen little of each other during the first five years, and during the final year, as the Strike Force, they spent most of their time planning or training, they hadn’t spoken in a long time.

“He has been charged with the following, negligence of parenthood, denial of sovereign LGBT rights, rape, pedophilia, and moral indecency. However his fate is in your hands now.”

Bernie smiled softly.

“Y-You didn’t have him executed?”

“Of course not.”

“T-Thank you… I… I would at least like to talk to him….”

Edelgard smiled. Ever the kind girl, even to a monster like him.

“But… unfortunately, we found out through this statement, that he disowned you, at the start of the war…”

“So?”

Edelgard beamed.

“So… you’re a commoner now… unless… unless you’d like to join my family?” Edelgard asked shyly, blushing deeply.

Bernadetta blushed a similar crimson.

“W-What?”

“I… I care about you greatly and… I don’t want that monster being your only family… I want… I want to adopt you… as my sister.”

“....”

“You’d be Bernadetta Von Hresvelg. But unfortunately you would be classified as illegitimate and won’t be able to take the throne should I -”

Edelgard was silenced by Bernadetta hugging her.

“I don’t care about my nobility… or the throne… I feel safest anywhere.. So long as I am with you Edelgard… I’d honoured to be your little sister.”

“Bern… we’re the same age…”

Edelgard chuckled as she brought the slightly taller girl into a loving hug.

“I’m born after you… I’m the little sister.”

“Okay… Okay…. Little sis…”

  
  


The wedding was nice. Bernadetta had cried when she handed the rings over to Edelgard and the Professor. It was a strangely extravagant affair, leading to Edelgard becoming rather embarrassed when she was it. Though that’s what happens when you let the Great Freya Von Aegir organise your wedding. Edelgard couldn’t tell who was crying louder; Bernadetta, or Alois (who started crying as soon as he walked Byleth down the aisle). 

Archbishop Mercedes married them. Being that she was really the only priest they were friendly with who would stay awake during the service. Surprisingly though, Lindhardt was awake during the wedding. 

Hours into the after party, she saw Bernadetta sneaking off to her old dorm room and the two girls laughed about it. And fifteen minutes later she returned, hand in hand, with Dorothea.

Dorothea cared so greatly for Bernadetta. Dorothea had an old age to look forward to.

Dorothea would be there for Bernie… once she was gone.

Venus had her Rose.

But how desperately she still wished… it was her.


End file.
